Method of and means for generating power.



J. M. W. KITCHEN. METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR GENERATING POWER.

' APPLIGATION I'ILED NOV. 22. 1911.

' 946,308, Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

In ven tor.-

by Atty outrun srarns rarest ormon.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR GENERATING- POVIER.

Specification of Letters ratenc Fatented; Dec. 3, 1912.

Application filed November 22, 1911. Serial No. 661,847;

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Moses WARD KITCHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of East Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Means for Generating Power, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of the invention is to secure a more perfect combustion of fuels, including especially those that are ditiicult to burn smokelessly; to secure in the generation of steam a more complete transmission of the heat generated in the burning of the fuel; and to secure a regenerative use of the lower degrees of waste heat.

In particular, the invention is useful in securing a substantially smokeless combustion of fuels widely varying in type; and in securing a high rating of boilers when dosired. as may be the case during unusual demands of load to be inet either in stationary plants, in marine or in loeomotory work. Under this method, coals so hard as to be diflicult to use under ordinary conditions may be utilized.

Some of the ideas of the lllYQllllOll were disclosed and partly claimed by me in United States Patent No. 995,154, issued June 13th, 1911; and in my co-pending ap 'plication for patent Serial No. 551,19G, filed March 23rd, 1910.

Some of the inventive ideas herein claimed are those whiclrcould not be claimed under iatent ()flicerulcs in the referred to applications, and which also pertain to new developnients that have been evolved since the filing of the referred to patent and application. 1

The invention here described, especially pertains to a method of burning fuel under a selected, desigm ted pressure, and secur ing the transmission of the heat generated in the burning, also under a selected pressure of the heating gases. I have given the name compressed draft. It to a certain degree, a variety of forced draft; but the results secured are ,pery (lif fcrent from the results secured from ordinary forced draft. Forced-draft 'is a qi' ick draft, and is characterized by an intense rapid combustion, and usually an unecon'omical, quick contact with, and rapid To this method travel of the heating gases over the heating surfaces. But compressed draft as a slow draft, and though an intense one, it accomplishes a complete andsmokeless combustion of any burnable fuel, and secures an almost completetransmission of the generated heat to water in the boiler heated by the gases under the compressed drafti The underlying principle applied in the invention is that of securing the consumption of the fuel through the use of a mechanically compressed air supply delivered to the fuel both below and above the fuel mass, and in maintaining the burned gases in a state of compression until the heat in the gas has been transmitted to the working media, which in this case are both water and air. One of, if not the greatest source of heat wastes in the use of fuel is due tothe lowering of temperature in the heating gases-through the expansion of the burning gases. Heat energy in coal is in a concentrated form; but when it is diffused ina gas that is expanded under the influence of an induced draft, the heat made :T1Slbl6 is of relatively low temperature. Other things being equal, the transmission of heat from gases to water is most effective when the heat of the gases is most intense; and the combustion of fuel is best performed when only enough air is passed through the fuelmass to volatilize the fuel and when enough, and only enough of air is quickly and intimately admixed with the volatilized gases above the fuel mass (o-effect their complete burning. Furthermore, that burning is most completely effected if the burning gases are prevented from being lowered in temperature until after th combustion of the gases is effected. Hence in this invention I supply air for combustion to the fuel under considerable pressure,mechanically produced; and by one small mechanical eX- penditure of force I overcome the relatively weak and inefficient action of the force of gravity, and introduce the air for combustion both below and above the fuel-mass in the amounts needed in each place, and in the places best suited to secure the aimed for result. By adding a regulatable, pressure reducing and reliefralve to a boiler at or beyond its exhaust gas exit, and effecting a regulated back pressure on thegases in the boiler and in its oo-acting furnace, I secure 11o. connection with 3. fixed air pressure e. W drelt as Well as on lnlense air and gas essure. Through. this method, the gases ore moreeolnpleiely burned. close lo the I.

of the :fuel-nmsfi, and in their burning l"; brought into CUEIl IELQl? with sleam power "j; escape into rapid droilfts, at even, him moms. But with my method, are... ore-sup pissing diet the temperaiiure of the Water in the boiler is about; 350 19"., the temperature the exhaust grilles after they have ere p and l o {ltIHUSPhQTlC pressure, need. l'iOibe li0 1. 1; and when all is desired, this "riueiple may be applied. iii the frees-- the lower degrees heel in the en;-

es lo pie-heat a11- rhoi; may then rubuslioio purpo In H .z .l.ion of he: lie

y be delivered to the ouphere lure not to exceed over ll". mee'ltion it may be said 'lhol it is us: ..y milmntugeous to euhouse the he at o temperoiure somewhat hig A. the tempemime of the atmosphere. so .ure 2 l1: l3. level dillusi .1 of he e guees into etmosohere, and. time eoniiaoiiuoliou of fill? breathed at; lower uoiples applied in this; eunion. applied in .1 large range sirue of loom generators but in a better :ulvonmgo than in olzllers. in which the principles of the. we be o iiplied the fuel may be my ordinary type of internally e gm; generulior, in which the "l and poked through the top and in which the gas may mince having 2; very l'ligh I securing the Phi;

foe isi of he genereeo in; burned in a l. oornlzmstion wing of the gas l cont-Joli with the he 1e and. in which the m1 disk- 1o .rmu high a, in Willi. lid.

leans o v d in. or, m U5. the rm 3 of :1 mod 1' 'pilidoors that are indicated, as Well. as

potent Serial No. 551,196, filed March 23rd. 1910. has :1 wrl'ieul Woler heater through "Whicll the gases ore forced in :1 downward travel, and in the parts of which the gases are burned and the heel: l :msmil'led under 11 M ire. eouirolled by a n'vssluro reduction and 11 lief valve located beyond o.) :u. the exit for exhaust from the eppurullls. The form which is illustrated diagrammatically in. the aeomnpunying drawing one especially suited for installing in. ecu-going vessels; or elsewhere where only small floor space is uvzuluhle. This form is esper-iul'ly useful when high internal pressures are do ed, W' high rating of the holler. II; per- Lilli-5 of a. :iol eonslrlietiou which prevents gas leakages r0111 within the l nt-nave. eolnbuslion chamber and other ports and helps to retard the loo quick eonroot ol the heating with heat transferring surfaces. It will be understood that the fuel feed and ash. the grate shaking device of the generator, are constructed so as to prevent g: see from eseuping through the usual openings provided for lllese features. The d owing represents in elemlion. 11m! ro ly in seotion, o bOllQ1'-,'ll1l air heater and an air exhaustr-r and blower. us W ll other features of my invention.

The reference characters indicate as lower- A. is a eounte '--cu1'rent air heater.

ll warm. air conduit.

A? are air heutiu tubes.

A are inlets to 1216 air heating tubes.

B is the boiler.

ll is a. feed Water conduit.

B is a, steam conduit.

C is the eomliuustion chamber.

D is the rear face of the :lf'lflQ l1lii.;od door.

D is the rear face of the ash-pit door.

is the ash pit.

.E is an air inlet.

F is an' air exl'iouster and blower.

F is EL compressed air conduit.

F F, and F z'ure air 'olres.

G is a grate.

G is a. horizontally disposed grate shale lug bar.

G is shilling box.

G is :1. shaking handle.

H are fire brick.

H are air lwyer openings.

I is an induced. draft injeeliou (l-JVlvo.

J wmler gz'rge.

L is ucalculi-mil oorer.

L is o guslcet.

1 Winged bolts.

lmusl; stuck.

hack pres 0 is the relief regulator for the valve N.

O is a regulating weight.

P are fire tubes. 1

The fuel-feed door I) and the ash-pit door D are constructed to resist escape of internal air and gas pressures, the intensity of which pressures are governed by the compression given to the air for combustitm'by the blower l, and by the influence of the back pressure and relief valve N. The air is introduced in suitable amounts below the trolled by the valve F.

grate G through the air inlet E, controlled by the valve 1: and also above the fuelmass through the air twver inlets H conis exerted by the actionof the pressure-re duction-relief valve N, which pressure. is regulated automatically after setting the weights X and reducing valve may replace the valve N and its regulator t). \Vhen the furnace is to be fed ithfuel. the compressed draft is changed to an induced draft, by opening the valve X and injecting compressed air from the blower F through the injection device I. Warm air heated by heat radiated from the installation, after rising to a high level, is

drawn through the air inlets AF" through the tubes A m cm'lnter-cifn'rent to the travel of the exhaust gases which surround the tubes,

and then find exit through the stack M.

lVhere there is sutiicient. room, I prefer to use a vertical cminter-current air heater for heating the air. If a variation in pressure between that inv the gas passages of the boiler and that in the air heater A is desired, such variat onglmiy be given by actuating the valve ME By aproperlmanipulationof the several parts. of, the apparatus, a substantially sm'okeless combustion of any burnable fuel may be secured, and an almost complete transfei of the heat generated by the corn lat tiol i may be made. to water and to air for (:i;.;ll')ll 1iit:71, which air it will be noted, is first heated with heat radiated from outside of the boiler A and other features of the installed amvaratus. and then heated by the pipes A? in the air heater r\: the last heating of the air being enhanced by keejnng the exhaust gases surrminding the air tubes A under compression by the. action of the valve The back pressure Any suitable pressure power generation. The rating of-theboiler may be raised by increasing thespeed of the blower F, which in v be replaced by a piston air compressordf very high'rating is wanted for the boiler,,and by increasing the back pressure through weighting the valve N.

The n'inciples of the invention may be applied in a wide variety of forms of steam apparatus comprising special fuel-feeding appliances without effecting the aim and scope of thei nvention. The hand-fed furnace here shown may. be replaced by an under-feed stoker, or by over-feed stokers of various types; and in certain instances, where intern'iittcd tiring is dispensed with and an ent ire prevention of smoke is desired, such modification of the herein described type of apparatus may be used. It .should be understood however, that a wide divergence from the ,type herei'vith shown, although si-curing effective combustion, is likely to be defective in transmission of the heat generated.

Attention is directed to the shaking device for the grate G, in which motion is given to ahorizontally' disposed rod (i working in a horizontal plane through the air pressure resisting stutiing box G, and actuated by the handle G". This device allows the grate to he ope ated without loss of air pressure in the ash pit E. I

As exemplifying the breadth to which the principles of this invention can be applied it may be mentioned that in those cases in which a substantially entire smokeless combustion. of soft bituminous or other fuels, or-' dinarily ditlicult to burn in a satisfactory manner, isdesired or necessitated, the fuel would he first gasified in some form of producer generator, and then the gas would be forced to a lace of burning below or close to the boiler, and in such cases the fuel bed as shown in the drawing would be replaced by a mass of refractory material in which the complete combustion of the fuel gas would be consummated with a proper admixture of air in or just above the refractory material, the object being to secure a complete combustion of the fuel before the heating gases would be brought into contact, with the heating surfaces, in the processv of substituting a slow compressed draft. for a rapid forced and induced draft, as is commonly practised. Asa further illustration of. the idea of inter-posing some physical obstacle to the too quick forcing and drawing of the gases to and over the heating surfaces, in certain cases I introduce lavav forrules in the upper part of the tire tubes of a boiler above the water line of the boiler. This not only protects the metal of the tubes from the corrosive action of highly heated sulfur compounds in the heating gases, but also aids the relief back pressure valve of the apparatus in securing the back pressure absorbing the sensible heat of the burned gas and air, and (3) means for automatr cally maintaining a predetermined back pressure of the gases and air in the generator and of the burned gases as they .pass through said boiler, said last named means comprising provisions for regulating the degree of compression desired and for affording relief for undesired accumulations of gas in said combination.

S). The combination of, (1) a furnace, (2) a boiler connected with the furnace, means comprising radiating piping for transferring to air for combustion heat of low tenn'ieraturc exhausted from the furnace and boiler, said means being constructed and arranged to use air pre-heated by the ex ternal surfaces of the furnace and boiler and to give the pre-heated air a higher heating with the said heat exhausted from the furnace and boiler, and (a means for forcing the heated air into the furnace and other means for securing a controlled automatic pressure of the air and gases in the furnace,

boiler, and means for transferring heat to air.

10. The combination of, (1) a furnace and boiler, (2) means connected with, and for forcing draft through, the furnace and boiler, (33) means located beyond the exit of the boiler but connected therewith at a level above the boiler for securing back pressure of gas burned in the boiler and furnace, and (4) means exemplified by a Weighted lever located at a low and easily accessible level of the combination for regulating the'degree of back pressure.

11. The combination of, (1) means connected with a furnace for forcing air into the furnace, (2) said furnace, which comprises a point for the introduction of the forces air, (3) a boiler connected with the furnace, said boiler comprising a point where the heating gases are exhausted, and (4) means other than said first named means for maintaining and controlling forced and back pressures in the furnace and boiler, said elements being substantially impervious to gases at all points except where the air is forced into the furnace iand where the heating gases are exhausted from the boiler, the fuel feed and ash doors being impervious to gases when closed, said boiler and said furnace comprising means for preventing a, direct free and uninterrupted rising of hot gases from the fuel bed in the furnace to the higher levels of the boilers heating surfaces and for securing through the coaction of the means for exerting back pressure a slow compressed draft in the furnace and a combustion of all the gases at a level below the heating surfaces of said boiler.

12. The method herein described for generating steam power, which consists in, (1) generating a combustible gas from a non gaseous fuel, (2) admixing air for combus tion with the gas in suitable proportions to secure its complete combustion, said combustion being effected at a place apart from where the gas generated, binning the admixed air and gas at said place, said steps being performed under separately controlled forced air pressure and back gas pressure, and l) securing under an automatically controlled continually exerted back pressure the transmission to water of the heat of the burning, f rming steam and super-heating the steam, said back pressure being suili cienlly exerted to provide for the burning of he air and gas before heat of the burning gas is transmitted to the water, said steps being performed substantially as set forth.

13. The method herein described for generating steam power, which consists in, (1) securing a substantially complete combustion of fuel, securing the transmission of the high degrees of heat of the combustion of the fuel to water under a controlled back pressure of the gases carrying the heat, whereby steam under pressure is formed and the degree of the steam pressure is con trolled, securing the transmission of the low degrees of heat of the combustion of the fuel to air for combustion undera controlled back pressure on the gases carrying the low degrees of heat, and f) using the air thus heated in securing the combustion of the fuel, whereby the low degrees of heat are economized by a regenerative use.

1-1. The method herein described for generating steam power, which consists in,

generating combustible gas from a bed of fuel under a controlled forced air pressure,

(2) completely burning the gas generated under a controlled forced and back pressure on the gas equal to or greater than that of the forced pressure used in generating the gas, and generating steam from the burning of under the controlled forced and back pressures.

15. The method herein described for generating steam power, which consists in. preparing a fuel mass for burning, forcing air at a. pressure greater than atmospheric pressure through said fuel mass, burning completely some of the fuel at a low level zone of said fuel mass, and which further conand haeh preesui s depernilent oi pressures sists in restricting the low oi the gases from the fuel burned at thc low level zone, in the passage of said hurned/ gases through the high levels of the fuel niass, and which fun ther consists in burning the gas generated in said fuel mass above said low level Zone "with a controlled amount of air and under a controlled hack pressure, and which eonin generating steam by means of the heat of the gas burning, said gas being completely burned before Water is heated by heat of the burned gases in the step of generating the steam power.

16. The method herein described for gen irating steam power, which consists in, {1) gasiifying and partly burning fuel. with a supply of air controlled as to its pressure and i'orced through the fuel, thereby pro during compressed gaseous fueh admixing compre gaeeous fuel and burning the admired air and gaseous fuel under hack preesuie equal to or greater than atmos tlheric pre ure and uninliueuced by and transmitting the heat oil? the burningto rater under an 'unrfliminished coinpreesed state of the gases produced by the burning of the gases under forced and back pressures.

l7. Tillie method herein described for generating steam power which consists in, (i)

gasiiying a solid fuel by high heat generated under a controlled forced pressure and a he. i pressure auton'iatieally eontrolled separatelj," and independent of the forced pressure and controlled eeparately and in leratcd from the heat developed in the method, admiring air with the gaeeous fuel and hurling the iltll'llllltktl. ai and .9 under controlled forced transmitting the l air with the eonfqiiressed an. induced suction dratt were,

in g transmitted.

18. The method herein described im: generating steam in a hoiler which consists iru (1) generating a combustible gas and It l mixing; air With and burning the gas at a. place apart from the place of generathig the gas-z and at a level below the heating surface? of the boiler, said burning being effected h z. mechanically forced pressure of the used in the burning; of the gas and by a hack preseure (it the burned sufii- C'lflllllfj etrong' to secure the lnirnihgz of. the gas at the said level below the heatmg eurtaeex Hill] (2) transmitting the heat of the lu'u'ning ot the gases through tla: heating; :es of the hoiier under an llllillllllll ished preasm'e at thr "were at ll parts oi the hoilore heating surfaces.

' The unetlmd herein descrihed tor gen erating steam power, u'hieh cousiete ua (ll burning fuel and a co .hined forced pressure and a hack pressure. transmitting the high heatof t e burning to \"vater for jloruiing steam under a combined forced pressure and a hue-l;pressure, trumljtrn ring; the low heat oi the hurning to and heating air-tor oomln'letion under a COII'IM hinell forced pressure aud a haolt 1! sure. and (-1) using the air thus heated 1 ereat iu;;' the tor-red pressure of the film. unmet etep.

ll'i tuelss beaten 1 on M TR ie than la. lltiunaroeii. 

